Types of Homework and Their Effect on Student Achievement

Research Questions The purpose of the study was to understand the different types of homework and to see if and how homework really influences students’ academic and emotional achievemen

theRepository at St Cloud State

Culminating Projects in Teacher Development Department of Teacher Development

8-2017

Types of Homework and Their Effect on Student

Achievement

Tammi A Minke

St.Cloud State University, tminke@isd138.org

Follow this and additional works at:https://repository.stcloudstate.edu/ed_etds

This Starred Paper is brought to you for free and open access by the Department of Teacher Development at theRepository at St Cloud State It has been accepted for inclusion in Culminating Projects in Teacher Development by an authorized administrator of theRepository at St Cloud State For more information, please contact rswexelbaum@stcloudstate.edu

Recommended Citation

Minke, Tammi A., "Types of Homework and Their Effect on Student Achievement" (2017) Culminating Projects in Teacher

Development 24.

https://repository.stcloudstate.edu/ed_etds/24

Types of Homework and Their Effect on Student Achievement

by Tammi Minke

A Starred Paper Submitted to the Graduate Faculty of

St Cloud State University

in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements

for the Degree Master of Science in Curriculum and Instruction

August, 2017

Starred Paper Committee:

Stephen Hornstein, Chairperson

Hsueh-I Lo Marc Markell

Table of Contents

Page

List of Tables 4

List of Figures 5

Chapter 1 Introduction 6

Purpose of the Study 6

Research Questions 8

Use of Findings 8

Definitions 9

2 Review of Literature 12

Homework Trends over the Years 13

Positive and Negative Effects of Homework 16

Different Types of Homework 21

What Constitutes Worthy Homework 22

Reasons for Homework Incompletion 23

Homework Completion Strategies 26

Parent Involvement with Homework 28

Recommendations for Time Spent on Homework 31

3 Summary and Recommendations 35

Recommendations 36

For Future Research 39

Chapter Page References 40

List of Tables

1 Potential Homework Effects 20

List of Figures

Chapter 1: Introduction Purpose of the Study

Homework is viewed by some as a vital key to student achievement in today’s society Despite this, America had a strong “anti-homework” movement (Eren & Henderson, 2011) in the late 19th and early 20th centuries The historical events of the Cold War and the global

competitive movement with Japan in the 1980s increased the educational shift toward more standards and homework for students (Cooper, Robinson, & Patall, 2006; Eren & Henderson, 2011) Homework continues to be a debatable and controversial topic of discussion amongst school districts across America Many school districts still believe homework teaches time management skills and responsibility However, according to Vatterott (2007), true

responsibility cannot be coerced, students must be allowed the power to develop and take

ownership of their tasks in order to get true learning from homework

I began my teaching career in 2004 in the field of Early Childhood Special Education

My role as a teacher was not only to educate my students, but also to develop a partnership with

my students’ parents Students at such a young age, did not have so-called “homework” as described in this literature review However, I would create learning targets and objectives for

the recommendations given In my work with Early Childhood students and parents, student family progress was monitored and observed when parents were a part of their child’s learning

As I look back to my work in Early Childhood, I would not say I assigned “homework” to young

learning, more success was observed This is similar to how I assign homework in my sixth grade classroom today

Even when I made a decision to change my path in education, I continued to see the importance and relevance of parental support involving student achievement In 2013, I became

As my first year in sixth grade progressed, I witnessed the struggle to complete homework and the lack of motivation my students experienced throughout the year However, I found the students’ grades were not significantly hindered by their incomplete homework because the daily homework grades only accounted for 30% of their overall grade (the remaining 70% of the students’ grades were from Minnesota Standards summative assessments) Roughly a third of

my students continued to struggle with completing their daily homework in math At times, I saw a relationship between students who did not complete their daily homework and their

chapter test scores (summative assessments) Other times, there was no observable difference in student achievement and daily homework completion

In my classroom, I continuously monitor my students’ progress and also monitor and adjust my own teaching practices I continue to come back to the debate on homework and its purpose in the classroom According to Gill and Schlossman’s (2004) research, “Too much or too little; too easy; too hard; a spur to student achievement or student alienation; a marker of enlightened or lazy teaching; a builder of character or a degrader of self-esteem; too demanding

or too dismissive of parents; a stimulus of national economic vigor or behavioral conformity The range of complaints about homework is enormous, and the complaints tend as much today as

in the past toward extreme, angry, often contradictory views” (p 174)

In this study, I hope to find a more effective homework process that results in overall academic and emotional growth for students to use and promote within my classroom

Research Questions

The purpose of the study was to understand the different types of homework and to see if and how homework really influences students’ academic and emotional achievement This study also investigates how and why students do not complete homework and how to improve

homework completion

 Does the amount of homework impact students’ academic achievement in school?

 What type of homework has the best impact on students’ academic achievement in school?

The literature review in Chapter 2 describes homework trends over the years, different types of homework, what constitutes worthy homework, reasons for homework incompletion, homework completion strategies, parent involvement, positive and negative effects of

homework, and recommended time spent on homework for students today in high school, middle school, and elementary students

Use of Findings

Following this study, I will share my findings and data with other teachers and

administrators in my professional learning communities within the North Branch Area Public Schools Middle School Our educators are in need of professional development opportunities to learn current best practice strategies which are necessary to support diverse needs in our school and classrooms I will also use my findings to help closely monitor my own classroom practices and to determine how I can adapt and adjust my classroom strategies to best fit the needs of my students and their families Homework can be more stressful than helpful in some homes, so I hope to offer strategies and resources for both students and parents to use to help make

homework less stressful and more productive

Definitions

Homework is defined as a set of school tasks that are assigned by teachers for students to

complete outside of the non-school hours Variations of homework can be classified according

to its amount, skill area, purpose, degree of individualization and choice of the student,

completion deadline, and social context (Cooper et al., 2006)

Purpose of the homework task:

 Pre-learning: This type of homework is designed to encourage students to think

about a previous topic discussed in class (prior lesson) and prepare for future topics This includes in-depth lessons such as reading or outlining a chapter prior

to a discussion in class (Rosário et al., 2015; Vatterott, 2009) Pre-learning may

be used to discover what students already know and what may excite student’s

interests (Vatterott, 2009)

 Checking for Understanding: According to Vatterott (2009), checking for

understanding is the most neglected use of homework, but is the most valuable way for teachers to gain awareness about what students are learning An example

of how a teacher can check for understanding is by asking students to do a few sample problems in math and explain the steps to the teacher This strategy is only helpful if teachers know the student completed the work in class with the teacher Other great examples of strategies are journaling questions about science

experiments and social studies projects to explain what happened and why

 Practicing: Rote skills such as multiplication tables or things to be memorized

such as spelling words are considered to be the traditional use of homework Many rote skills are necessary for students to practice but teachers need to make

sure students understand the concept or skill in class If teachers skip the checking for understanding task, the practice purpose of homework is useless and will only cause frustration for the student and parent Rote practice should also be spread out over several days rather than doing a skill in one night (Vatterott, 2009)

 Processing: According to Vatterott (2009), processing homework is used when

teachers want students to reflect on concepts being taught in class This is when teachers ask students to think of new questions and apply the skills and

knowledge learned in class Processing homework is usually a long-term project

or task used at the end of a unit or learning target The term “extension homework” used by Rosário et al is very similar to processing described by Vatterott that requires higher level or abstract thinking to occur from previous learning tasks

Summative assessments are given periodically to determine at a particular point in time

what students know and do not know based on state standards and district benchmarks These assessments usually occur at the end of the unit or chapter also known as learning target checks

in place of tests (Ehringhaus & Garrison, 2013) Summative assessments used in the North Branch Area Public Schools are valued significantly higher than daily work or formative

assessments

Formative assessments are part of the instructional process which are incorporated into

the classroom practice and provide the information needed to adjust teaching and learning Formative assessment informs both teachers and students about student understanding and this is

when teachers can make adjustments to curriculum and teaching lessons The adjustments help

to ensure students achieve the Minnesota State standards which are measured by the Minnesota Comprehensive Assessment (MCA’s) Formative assessment strategies appear in a variety of formats, such as observations, exit and entrance tickets, quizzes, classroom questions, and

informal classroom checks (tests) (Ehringhaus & Garrison, 2013)

Learning Targets guide learning Students will understand the lesson-sized chunk of

information, skills, and reasoning processes Teachers write learning targets from the students’ point of view and share them within the classroom for the specific lesson for the day, so students can use them to guide their own learning and so students know what they should know at the end

of the lesson Learning targets should provide a guide for what teaching tactics in place are effective, what needs to be changed and what areas can be improved upon Learning targets should also assist teachers to set challenging goals to increase rigor and optimal learning

(Brookhart & Moss, 2012)

Chapter 2: Review of Literature

In this chapter, literature has been reviewed that relates to the research questions: Does homework impact students’ academic achievement in school and what type of homework has the best impact on students’ academic achievement in school? The research shows mixed results, but most articles do suggest that homework for elementary students should be limited and

completed with parental support, whereas students at the secondary level should only be given homework with a true value and meaning behind the homework Researchers at the secondary level conclude that high amounts of homework do not guarantee high performance (Kohn, 2006) Since I have not conducted my own action research, these articles and studies support data from the United States and other countries that can lead to approaches brought into current schools and classrooms Administrators, teachers, and parents can all benefit from this information to help current students and families achieve more and gain a positive outlook on becoming a life-long learner

Homework today continues to be a hotly debated and controversial topic of discussion in school districts across America The literature review describes the homework trends over the years, different types of homework, what constitutes worthy homework, reasons for homework incompletion, homework completion strategies, parent involvement, as well as positive and negative effects of homework

The literature review defines homework as a set of school tasks that are assigned by teachers for students to complete outside of school hours (Cooper et al., 2006) The homework process involves three important roles; students, parents, and teachers Each of the three roles plays an important part in the effects of homework completion and student achievement

Research supports that teachers assign homework to students for practice to strengthen skills and concepts taught in class Teachers assume students understand the concept when their

homework is successfully completed They also assume students need additional practice or assistance if students do not complete homework correctly These assumptions may not always

be accurate because each student’s situation is different and teachers cannot predict exactly why homework is or is not completed It is important for teachers to observe the feedback as soon as possible to make effective instructional adjustments for future learning (Miller, Duffy, & Zane, 1993)

Homework Trends over the Years

In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, America had a strong “anti-homework”

movement, somewhat differing to the view of homework today (Eren & Henderson, 2011) Homework today is viewed by some as a vital key to student achievement According to

Wildman, in 1966, the National Education Association issued this statement:

It is generally recommended (a) that children in the early elementary school have no homework specifically designed by the teacher; (b) that limited amounts of homework not more than an hour a day be introduced during the upper elementary school and junior high years; (c) that homework be limited to four nights a week; and (d) that in secondary school no more than one and a half hours a night be expected (as cited in Vatterott, 2009, p 6)

The historical events of the Cold War and the Russian’s launching the Sputnik1 Satellite

in 1957 drove homework levels higher Levels dipped in the mid-1960s and 1970s but again rose in a global competitive movement in the 1980s with Japan resulting in an increased

educational shift toward more standards and homework for students (Cooper et al., 2006; Eren & Henderson, 2011)

By the 1990s, homework levels were starting to rise in result of the education standard demands that were led to believe they would help increase academic achievement With the increased demands of the education standards came higher amounts of homework This was intended to improve the quality of labor force in the United States At this time, school districts across the United States began to adopt mandatory homework policies (Eren & Henderson, 2011) By the late 1990s, the homework began to shift back to the anti-homework focus despite the research conducted by leading expert Harris Cooper In 1998, the American Educational Research Association directed a symposium on homework practices and the latest research about homework This study found that students could be either positively or negatively impacted by homework depending upon their individual or family circumstances The reason for further research was the shift of parents’ opinions and researchers’ beliefs about the lack of evidence between homework and academic achievement (Vatterott, 2009)

Another significant event to impact the homework trend was the No Child Left Behind

Act of 2001 In 2002, “No Child Left Behind Act” was signed into law by George W Bush to

increase academic standards and raise school accountability (Bogin & Nguyen-Hoang, 2014)

performance targets for two consecutive years were considered “failing” and could potentially be shut down based on performance Over time this educational policy and the increase in

standards and accountability was proven to cause more of a negative consequence to students, families, teachers, and school districts than what was intended by the “No Child Left Behind Act.” The act intended to target at-risk students so they would not be “left behind.”

Unfortunately, the act did not successfully help students at-risk the way the policy was intended and new policies have since been put into place (Bogin & Nguyen-Hoang, 2014)

The culture of homework and how it has developed over the last 100 years is based on five unexamined beliefs about children and learning Vatterott (2009) emphasized five beliefs that are based mostly on faith, tradition, and/or moral judgment versus research and facts These beliefs are:

Belief #1: The role of the school is to extend learning beyond the classroom

Belief #2: Intellectual activity is intrinsically more valuable than nonintellectual activity Belief #3: Homework teaches responsibility

Belief #4: Lots of homework is a sign of a rigorous curriculum

Belief #5: Good teachers give homework; good students do their homework (pp 10-13) Today’s homework culture in some schools is a mixture of very old philosophies

consisting of who teachers believe students are, who teachers want students to be, and how teachers think they can control students (Vatterott, 2009) Despite the pendulum swing over the last hundred years, pro-homework and anti-homework attitudes are not a new issue Homework trends and attitudes have historically reflected what is going on in society and the educational philosophy at the time

According to Bennett and Kalish (2006), no matter where the students live (urban,

suburban, or rural areas) or the kind of school kids attend (public, private, or parochial) more than one-third of the families surveyed and interviewed reported being overwhelmed by

homework In a national survey completed in 2004 by the University of Michigan on over 2,900 children, it was found that the time students spent doing homework had increased by 51% since

1981 (Bennett & Kalish, 2006) For some students in this study, it was only an increase of a few more minutes of homework However, the amounts of homework in this study, far exceeds the

National Education Association guidelines of no more than 10-20 minutes per night in

Kindergarten through second grade and 30-60 minutes per night in third through sixth grade Many researchers recommend far less or even no homework for ages Kindergarten through sixth grade (Bennett & Kalish, 2006; Kohn, 2006)

Positive and Negative Effects of Homework

Positive Effects of Homework According to Cooper (1989) and Cooper et al (2006),

educators compiled a list of potential positive effects of assigning homework to students The positive effects are broken down into four categories: immediate achievement and learning, long-term academic benefits, nonacademic benefits, and greater parental appreciation of and

involvement in schooling These positive effects may vary with each grade level Based on Cooper et al.’s (2006) meta-analysis of research, the correlation between homework and

achievement is irrelevant for elementary students One of Florida’s superintendents, Heidi Maier, has traded traditional homework with daily reading for elementary school grades because

of the clear benefits of reading for students at these grade levels (Strauss, 2017)

Other potential positive effects described in the research (Cooper, 1989; Cooper et al., 2006) are long-term academic benefits (improved attitude toward school, better study skills and habits), non-academic benefits (greater self-direction and discipline, better time organization, more inquisitiveness, and more independent problem-solving), and parental and family benefits (greater parental appreciation of and involvement in schooling, student awareness of connection between home and school, and parental demonstrations of interest in child’s academic progress) Table 1 shows the potential positive effects described in (Cooper, 1989; Cooper et al., 2006)

Cooper (2001) conducted a meta-analysis of the effects of homework and its effects on achievement In all 50 studies examined, 43 correlations indicated that students who did more homework had better achievement scores, whereas only seven indicated that those who did more homework had lower achievement scores These results benefited students in high school and junior high Students in elementary school showed very little correlation between homework and achievement The results are correlations, but that does not imply causality and it is not clear if it

is the homework, or the students themselves who create this difference According to Cooper’s research on the positive effects of homework; homework is beneficial as long as teachers use their knowledge of developmental levels to guide policies and expectations all in moderation

According to Trautwein and Koller (2003), homework behavior is closely linked to three components of self-regulation (motivation, metacognition, cognition) The potential positive effects of homework are highly dependent on students’ expectations of success and the value the student attaches to the task, and the student’s specific learning style Despite the lengthy history

of homework research, (Cooper et al., 2006; Trautewein & Koller, 2003) the lack of subtle measures of positive effects is that the homework variable is one of many influences on

achievement being examined in homework studies

Negative Effects of Homework The potential negative effects described in the research

(Cooper et al., 2006) are satiation (loss of interest in academic material, and physical and

emotional fatigue) Other negative effects described are denial of access to extra-curricular activities (in school and out of school), parental interference (pressure to complete homework and perform well), and confusion of instructional techniques (not understanding homework), cheating, and increased differences between high and low achievers Table 1 shows the potential

negative effects of homework according to homework research of (Cooper, 1989; Cooper et al.,

2006)

According to Cooper (2001), parents trying to help with homework can confuse students

if the parents is using different instructional techniques than the teacher Homework can also lead to undesirable behavior such as cheating, through either copying other students’

assignments or having someone else complete the work for the student Homework can also have a negative effect on students from low-income homes who have no educational resources at home “Low-income students are more likely to work after school or may not have a quiet, well-lighted places in which to complete their assignments” (p 35)

Cooper was not alone on examining the negative effects of homework Kralovec and Buell (2001) stated, homework along with recent demographic and economic changes can

decrease family involvement time According to a survey in 1998 by Public Agenda, 50% of parents reported having arguments about homework Thirty-four percent of parents reported homework as a stress and struggle In Kralovec and Buell’s research, parents reported having conflicting opinions of homework because they want what is educationally best for their child but do not want homework to impose on their family life Students often miss family meals and activities to complete hours of homework

Kohn (2006) examined frequent complaints heard about homework and further describes five basic themes Homework is reported to have a burden on parents Many parents return home from work and have to help with homework they may not have any educational knowledge

of or the resources to help their child causing not only a burden but also stress, family conflict, less time for other activities and a loss for future learning

All of Kohn’s (2006) themes described above are interlocked and affect a family’s

household Family conflict tends to occur when students are struggling at home with homework and parents are unable to help with the homework According to Kohn, “an hour spent doing homework at home is an hour not spent doing other things” (p 15) There is less opportunity for students to read for pleasure, socialize with friends, get exercise, and engage in extra-curricular activities, get adequate sleep, or just being a kid

Table 1

Potential Effects of Homework that Might Serve as Outcomes for Research

Different Types of Homework

There are three types of instructional homework purposes: practice, preparation, and extension (Rosário et al., 2015) These practices can be used by teachers when assigning

homework tasks to promote student engagement and meaningful learning

Practice homework focuses on tasks taught in class to increase speed, demonstrate

mastery, review work, study for tests, and retain specific skills over time (Rosário et al., 2015) Teachers assign practice and preparation homework most often because it can be more

convenient and less time consuming Practice homework is more often used in mathematics and spelling to increase spelling proficiency and fluency in math facts

Preparation homework focuses on preparing students for the next lesson (Rosário et al., 2015) This type of homework is inherently linked to pre-learning by Vatterott (2009) The homework is designed to encourage students’ thinking about a previous homework topic

discussed in class and prepare for future topics In a study of 638 sixth-grade students, practice and preparation homework tasks showed impact on students’ mathematic achievement (Rosário

et al., 2015) Students were able to review the material covered in the future lesson from the textbook and write the main ideas covered in a notebook to help prepare the students for

learning Students would use the textbook to help focus on the next lesson and prepare for what would be covered in the future class lesson (Rosário et al., 2015)

Extension homework focuses on promoting the shift of previous learning to new tasks (Rosário et al., 2015) Extension homework requires higher level or abstract thinking to occur Teachers use this form of homework to encourage students to collaborate with peers and be more